So far this year we have a relatively rare pandemic, murder hornets and mid-May frosts. I feel like someone should tell the Year 2020, “you’re drunk and should go home now.” No, really, go home 2020, this has gotten out of hand. Sleep it off and we will start over in the morning. Unfortunately, I feel like 2020 is so out of hand it has reached the point of no return, we have got a raging alcoholic year to contend with. This probably will not end until 2021 pushes through. Remember, we have an election yet to come and the two candidates are Donald Trump and Joe Biden, not to mention Hurricane and tornado seasons have yet to kick off.
2021 will forever be remembered as the “Year of Rest,” I hope.
You guys and gals have all had a friend like 2020. Can’t get them to leave the bar. Mouthy, incoherent and dramatic emotional swings in the span of a just a few hours. I am not sure if there is a Betty Ford Center for years, but if the need was ever present, this is the time.
My instincts tell me this all will not be over until we get all the big-time singers to gather and they do a “We are the World” video. That should sum it all up.
My problem with that is that I am so out of touch, I do not know who the “big time singers” are anymore. I have spent the last few months learning to read epidemiology forecasts and projected death charts and I have not kept up on pop culture like I should. Somebody do me a favor and let me know if they record a song to solve all that ails us.
I have not succumbed to many of the social changes inspired and necessitated by the social distancing because I am a natural social distancer, but I made an exception this weekend. I attended one of those “drive by” celebrations and I am glad I did. I attended a 50th wedding anniversary of some friends. In all likelihood, you do not know Vernon and Teresa Wright, but in a way you do.
They are the people in our communities that we should all be aspiring to be a little more like. Vernon is a Vietnam vet, retired from a long factory career and he and Teresa raised a good family and made consistency the backbone of their life. Long careers, long marriage, solid family and constantly giving back to their community and neighbors in unheralded ways.
We should all be so wealthy.
Anyway, the “celebration” amounted to driving by their house and shouting hellos and such as they stood in their front yard. It’s something I could get used to. No “awkward taco” conversations with people that you didn’t want to see. No having to eat cake or whatnot and I was able to be back in my living room in time to watch Dateline. It’s like a dream come true for people that don’t care for small talk or “finger foods.” I am old enough to remember when “drive by” was considered a relatively negative term associated with shooting people.
I’m all in for this new drive by. Birthdays, weddings, funerals, retirements, whatever, I’m in. Jump in the car with the wife and dogs, drive by and throw out a wave and we’re all good.
Who said pandemics were all bad?
(Guy Speckman can be reached at gspeckman@me.com or attending random “drive by” celebrations)
